OnlyownEnergizer250lumen
Enlightened
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2015
- Messages
- 660
Well, I've gotta say.... this K75vn spec 3 light is a BEAST!
To anyone who has issues with the large size:
After 50mm+ sized heads, a one handed light is a one handed light. Doesn't make hardly any difference if it's 60mm, 90mm, or 120mm, because none can be pocketed, all require a free hand to operate, and all need a dedicated storage space. Once you get into BLF GT, K65, MS18 size territory, nowwww you're talking 2 hands again. In my opinion, that is the point of which size matters after 50mm+ heads. It's literally no more challenging to wield an MT18 vs a K75. Even with the Skylumen Delta vs K75, while the Delta is obviously more comfortable in the hand, I don't see much difference by way of convenience. If I can't pocket either one, then I still gotta carry each around with me wherever I go, which is the same level of nuisance.
Anyways, the beam is phenomenal! I haven't seen it in a foggy or excessively polluted location yet, for an ultra-intense lightsaber effect, but boy can it throw a hotspot! I will say however that in having the Skylumen Delta side by side for comparison, I was shocked at how well the little guy could contend! For a moment I thought, "these aren't thaaat different...." however my comparison was merely done within 100 meters on trees, and straight up into the sky, never on distant targets, so it's hard to say.
The host itself is excellent quality and feels great in the hand. It's pleasantly lightweight for its size. I've never used the handle attachment, I really dont think I'll ever use it. It's just not necessary unless you are literally conducting search and rescue and plan to use the light for long extended periods of time. For general toying around and basic scoping, a handle would seem to be a needless distraction, forcing the need for two-handed operation.
I will say, this is my first time using driver VNX3 ramping UI, and when compared to Anduril, I find it a bit cumbersome to use. The double blink at 70% slows down the process. I wish I could set the max ramp someplace lower like 25% instead of 70, and then go straight to 100 on double click. Otherwise, I wish it would just ramp from 1-100 without any blinks or pauses. I will likely switch to discrete UI soon instead. I do wish I spent the extra 20$ for Anduril, but that's just me—likely because I've used 4 other lights with it and it is what I am used to, and what I expect when I think of ramping UI. I'll probably comment on my thoughts regarding the discrete UI later.
Im surprised how difficult it is to see the lightsaber beam effect indoors. I figured it would be easily visible just pointing it at a white wall, but I wasn't able to see the effect at any angle, any moreso than my Delta or MicroGTvn. In fact, it seemed that the effect was strongest off the MicroGTvn, or possibly the Goliath V2vn. I guess with a smaller diameter head, the light is all focused together and shows itself well. But if you space 5000 lumens out, even while they are intensely focused across a 125mm head, you can't really see it anymore. Perhaps it's because of all the overload of output on our eyes, and the background being so lit up, that majority of the surrounding darkness turns into a bright area decreasing any contrast to reveal the lightsaber effect indoors.
At a price tag of just under $400, I constantly feel chastised by others and by my own conscience, that I spent so much on a flashlight (toy). Previously, I've never spent over $160 for a single light. Paying more than double was a very difficult idea to stomach... My financial circumstances truly don't give me the freedom for a purchase like this without major consequences in other areas of my life, so this element sort of kills a good part of the joy this light otherwise gives me.
I suppose if I find a reason to use it at least once a month (even just for fun) after about 2 or 3 years, by the end, I shouldn't feel this financial regret anymore, but for the first few months, prior to getting much use out of it, it feels crazy expensive per use. I have yet to show any friends, only my immediate family has seen it. Therefore, more joy is yet to be had/shared, but you can be certain that I won't be telling anyone else how much I spent on it.
To put this in perspective, I am in my early 20s still using an iPhone 5 to save money, and the battery literally dies in one hour of use.... and i just bought an almost $400 flashlight to which I have practically zero real use for. I am an idiot. Feelsbadman.
But I wanted this for so long.... I pondered this purchase for many many nights, and didn't pull the trigger on any light in this class, waiting for "the one" for around 8 months. After that long wait, I feel a little underwhelmed by this purchase as I was expecting something mind blowing to put all my other lights to shame.
Testing is not over, and I still have many more impressions to form, but from two brief uses of 5 minutes in a residential neighborhood and in my house, these are my immediate thoughts.
To anyone who has issues with the large size:
After 50mm+ sized heads, a one handed light is a one handed light. Doesn't make hardly any difference if it's 60mm, 90mm, or 120mm, because none can be pocketed, all require a free hand to operate, and all need a dedicated storage space. Once you get into BLF GT, K65, MS18 size territory, nowwww you're talking 2 hands again. In my opinion, that is the point of which size matters after 50mm+ heads. It's literally no more challenging to wield an MT18 vs a K75. Even with the Skylumen Delta vs K75, while the Delta is obviously more comfortable in the hand, I don't see much difference by way of convenience. If I can't pocket either one, then I still gotta carry each around with me wherever I go, which is the same level of nuisance.
Anyways, the beam is phenomenal! I haven't seen it in a foggy or excessively polluted location yet, for an ultra-intense lightsaber effect, but boy can it throw a hotspot! I will say however that in having the Skylumen Delta side by side for comparison, I was shocked at how well the little guy could contend! For a moment I thought, "these aren't thaaat different...." however my comparison was merely done within 100 meters on trees, and straight up into the sky, never on distant targets, so it's hard to say.
The host itself is excellent quality and feels great in the hand. It's pleasantly lightweight for its size. I've never used the handle attachment, I really dont think I'll ever use it. It's just not necessary unless you are literally conducting search and rescue and plan to use the light for long extended periods of time. For general toying around and basic scoping, a handle would seem to be a needless distraction, forcing the need for two-handed operation.
I will say, this is my first time using driver VNX3 ramping UI, and when compared to Anduril, I find it a bit cumbersome to use. The double blink at 70% slows down the process. I wish I could set the max ramp someplace lower like 25% instead of 70, and then go straight to 100 on double click. Otherwise, I wish it would just ramp from 1-100 without any blinks or pauses. I will likely switch to discrete UI soon instead. I do wish I spent the extra 20$ for Anduril, but that's just me—likely because I've used 4 other lights with it and it is what I am used to, and what I expect when I think of ramping UI. I'll probably comment on my thoughts regarding the discrete UI later.
Im surprised how difficult it is to see the lightsaber beam effect indoors. I figured it would be easily visible just pointing it at a white wall, but I wasn't able to see the effect at any angle, any moreso than my Delta or MicroGTvn. In fact, it seemed that the effect was strongest off the MicroGTvn, or possibly the Goliath V2vn. I guess with a smaller diameter head, the light is all focused together and shows itself well. But if you space 5000 lumens out, even while they are intensely focused across a 125mm head, you can't really see it anymore. Perhaps it's because of all the overload of output on our eyes, and the background being so lit up, that majority of the surrounding darkness turns into a bright area decreasing any contrast to reveal the lightsaber effect indoors.
At a price tag of just under $400, I constantly feel chastised by others and by my own conscience, that I spent so much on a flashlight (toy). Previously, I've never spent over $160 for a single light. Paying more than double was a very difficult idea to stomach... My financial circumstances truly don't give me the freedom for a purchase like this without major consequences in other areas of my life, so this element sort of kills a good part of the joy this light otherwise gives me.
I suppose if I find a reason to use it at least once a month (even just for fun) after about 2 or 3 years, by the end, I shouldn't feel this financial regret anymore, but for the first few months, prior to getting much use out of it, it feels crazy expensive per use. I have yet to show any friends, only my immediate family has seen it. Therefore, more joy is yet to be had/shared, but you can be certain that I won't be telling anyone else how much I spent on it.
To put this in perspective, I am in my early 20s still using an iPhone 5 to save money, and the battery literally dies in one hour of use.... and i just bought an almost $400 flashlight to which I have practically zero real use for. I am an idiot. Feelsbadman.
But I wanted this for so long.... I pondered this purchase for many many nights, and didn't pull the trigger on any light in this class, waiting for "the one" for around 8 months. After that long wait, I feel a little underwhelmed by this purchase as I was expecting something mind blowing to put all my other lights to shame.
Testing is not over, and I still have many more impressions to form, but from two brief uses of 5 minutes in a residential neighborhood and in my house, these are my immediate thoughts.
